Dillian Whyte has revealed he offered to fight Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden on June 1.
The disgruntled heavyweight star, overlooked by the WBC to be named Deontay Wilder ’s mandatory challenger, will now take on unbeaten Oscar Rivas at the O2 Arena on July 20.
Andy Ruiz is expected to be officially confirmed as Joshua's next opponent on Tuesday as a late replacement for Jarrell Miller after his positive drugs test.
And Whyte says the Joshua camp was never interested in taking him up on his offer to step in and "give him hell" on his US debut.
“The negotiations with me and Joshua, they were never serious,” Whyte said.
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“I said I was up for the fight (on June 1). The first time I wasn’t training, but when Miller pulled out I was already training for five weeks, I already had eight weeks VADA testing.
“I said I’d be ready. I did say that, but they didn’t want the fight. There was no serious talk about the fight.
“Forget all this talk that the fight was offered to me and I said no, I did not say that.
“I said to Eddie (Hearn) that if we could reach terms and sort it out, instead of letting the fans down I’d step in.
“My team wasn’t happy, but I said I’d go in there and have it. I’d give him hell as long as my fitness lasts.”
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Joshua now looks set to fight Andy Ruiz with reports he has agreed terms to challenge for the heavyweight belts on June 1.
Whyte reckons Ruiz stands little chance of causing an upset in what is expected to be a straightforward defence for Joshua.
"I don't think it's a good fight," Whyte said.
"I think that Ruiz just doesn't hit hard enough. He's got quick hands but he's not the fittest, he doesn't look the part.
"He's a well-schooled guy and all of that, but if Parker can outbox him that easily what's AJ going to do to him?
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"I understand that it's short notice, and he's saving the day, so full props to him and hopefully he does well.
"Not knowing that he's a boxer, he's someone you'd see and think 'I could have him'.
"I don't think Joshua looks bad in that fight, it just depends on whether the needle he had with Miller and the mindset is still there.
"It's whether his concentration lapses and he thinks, 'this is just a fat couch potato'.
"I think he beats Andy Ruiz up, six or seven rounds he beats himup.
"His feet are too slow. Ruiz is a pressure fighter. He ain't got quick feet or good head movement. You can't work a 6ft 6, 230lb guy with head movement up like that."
